Tuesday, June 21, 2011

She says it better than I can...

I wish I could write poetry because I love it. But, in the absence of such a skill, I am thankful for others who can express so beautifully the things I have trouble putting words to.

I write my last final tomorrow which means that I am quite close to being done grad school. Which means that change is coming, which means that I have decisions to make, which means that there is another adventure in the wind. I'm certain of it.

And I am certain that there is goodness in store that will come wearing a thousand different faces. And so I love this poem, because I can see the light spilling too, and I plan to be there soon.


Walking to Oak-Head Pond, and Thinking of the Ponds
I Will Visit in the Next Days and Weeks

What is so utterly invisible
as tomorrow?
Not love,
not the wind,

not the inside of a stone.
Not anything.
And yet, how often I am fooled-
I'm wading along

in the sunlight-
and I'm sure I can see the fields and the ponds shining
days ahead-
I can see the light spilling

like a shower of meteors
into next week's trees,
and I plan to be there soon-
and, so far, I am

just that lucky,
my legs splashing
over the edge of darkness,
my heart on fire.

I don't know where
such certainty comes from-
the brave flesh
or the theater of the mind-

but if I had to guess
I would say that only
what the soul is supposed to be
could send us forth

with such cheer
as even the leaf must wear
as it unfurls
its fragrant body, and shines

against the hard possibility of stoppage
which, day after day,
before such brisk, corpuscular belief,
shudders, and gives way.

-Mary Oliver-

2 comments:

Kmarie said...

Expressive.Oh how i wish you luck and peace in your exams. I can't believe you are almost done and on to new adventures! Before you go I want a video and pic of a day and life in England, the streets, apartment, shoppes, school, weather...I want to experience it thru your eyes...after your exams are done:)
You will pass with flying colours!

Rachel Davies said...

Really beautiful poem. You're a pretty good photographer by the way. Impressed!